Speed Dating
by choirhawk12
Summary: Lizzy and Jane Bennet have been forced by their friend Lydia to attend a speed dating session. Love, hate, and texting ensues. 'Pride & Prejudice' in one night. Fluffy and MODERN. Rated T just to be safe. Special appearances by other J.A. characters.
1. Round 1

Speed Dating

A _Pride and Prejudice_ fanfic series

* * *

><p><strong>Round 1: Collins<strong>

Lizzy Bennet sat at the circular table in the small café. She didn't know why she had come to this speed dating session that her friend Lydia had recommended to her and her older sister Jane. All of the men there were definitely not her type. And yet there she sat, sipping white wine and waiting for her first "date" to appear in the chair facing her.

Lizzy scanned the far side of the room where her potential "soul mate"—as the brochure had described the flock of men that attended such gatherings—could be waiting. The proctor finally stood up and recited the guidelines. Five minutes for each pair, the men will rotate clockwise at the sound of the first bell, a second bell will signal when to start conversing, no exchanging of personal information until the end of the night, and have fun. They always ended these things with "have fun." _Yeah, because trying to establish a connection that should take years, in five minutes is _really_ fun._ Lizzy sighed and sipped her wine.

The men made their way from the bar over to the twelve tables arranged in a circle. They reminded Lizzy more of a pack of middle-aged wolves than men. Each man had been given a number corresponding to the table that they would start out with. A few men passed, but not without giving Lizzy a quick once-over, only to find out she wasn't their first. As each undesirable specimen passed her table, Lizzy mentally did a small touchdown dance. And just as quickly, the dancing morphed into small dark clouds of doom accompanied by Beethoven's Fifth symphony.

Before her stood a slightly pudgy but overall disproportionate man, whose smile suggested that he wanted to do something more than talk. And it didn't help that Lydia had dressed her in a dress that she hadn't worn in years, and for good reason. It was ultimately too short and a tad too tight—and apparently just what the guy was looking for.

The bell sounded and Number Eight sat down and promptly began the conversation. "My name is Collins, and may I say that it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance—"

"Lizzy Bennet." She reached out to shake his hand, only to have hers grabbed and hastily kissed. _Oh he is definitely out._ "Uh—it's nice to meet y—"

"Oh your necklace is quite interesting, it looks just like one my ex-girlfriend Catherine had. But of course hers was much more exquisite—real silver." He added with a wink.

For the next three and a half minutes, Number Eight continued to speak highly of his ex. When the bell sounded again, Number Eight stood and gave Lizzy his thanks. She only nodded, and went to take a sip of her wine, only to find he had finished her glass somewhere in the middle of their "conversation." A waiter came and replaced her wine with a vodka tonic. Something a little stronger was necessary if she had to endure eleven more contenders. Pulling out her phone, Lizzy quickly texted her sister who was seated at table eleven.

_Beware #8. MJR CREEP! Tlkd about ex whole time! _

**Yeah, I can see him. Thnx 4 the warning. ;) **

Lizzy shut her phone and looked up to see who the next victim was going to be. _Okay, c'mon lucky number seven._ Before her stood probably the best looking guy in the place. Dark hair, intense eyes, tall…he was perfect. Until he opened his mouth.


	2. Round 2

8/5/2011

**Round 2: Will Darcy**

The night seemed to move slowly for Lizzy, even though she had only met with one guy. Gazing up from her phone, the man in front of her sat down and didn't even bother to at least mutter a pre-bell "Hi." Lizzy looked around to see if she could find whatever—or whoever—it was that the mystery man was staring at so intently. She followed his gaze towards table number eleven. _ Of course he'd be looking at Jane. _She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her phone.

The bell rang, and yet the man continued to stare off in the direction of Jane's table. About a minute went by before Lizzy said something. "Um, excuse me," Number Seven did a double take before turning his full attention towards her. "Hi, I'm Lizzy." She held out her hand for him to shake.

"Will Darcy." His voice was deep and smooth, but distant—almost bored. _You're not the only one, but at least try and make an effort_. Lizzy took a sip of her drink. She ended up drinking half of it.

"So, where are you from, Will? It's a small town and I've never seen you around before."

This time he looked directly in her eyes. In that moment, something in the sir shifted between them. It wasn't a spark, or an emotional connection, but more of hostility—at least on her part.

"I'm from Pittsburg, but I'm staying with my friend Charles for a while. He's over at table eleven" He took a sip of his drink. _Whiskey…or is it brandy? _The odor of his alcohol wafted over to her. _Definitely brandy._ Lizzy looked over at her sister's table. There was a slightly redheaded man sitting with his back towards Lizzy. He was talking animatedly, and Jane giggled and blushed like a schoolgirl.

"Oh, he's with Jane." Will raised his eyebrow as he took another sip. Noticing this, Lizzy threw in, "My sister." That seemed to suffice as Will nodded. Another tense silence passed between them as the minutes ticked on. They barely talked, and the whole time Will just stared at Lizzy with those cold, intense eyes of his.

The bell saved them from more uncomfortable silence and conversation. Will quickly stood up from his seat and gave a curt nod to Lizzy, who returned it with a half-smile. _Well, so much for lucky number seven_. She pulled out her phone once more and texted Jane.

_#7 = cold & proud. Didn't seem interested in anything._

**But his friend was so nice! #10.**

_Well, here's hoping #6 is better._

Lizzy shut her phone with an exasperated sigh. The next man came and sat down, smiling genuinely at her. When the bell rang, Lizzy and Number Six began to make conversation. Nearby at table nine, un-lucky number seven continued to stare off in other directions, landing on his friend Number Ten, and the girl at table eight.


	3. Round 3

**Round 3: George Wickham**

The bell signaled the end of each session had quickly become Lizzy's best friend. After two men, she thought about throwing in the towel, but no one was allowed to leave until every man had been around once. As Number Seven—or Will Darcy as he called himself—stood up to leave, Lizzy hadn't even bothered to give him some sort of farewell. Not that he deserved it anyway. The entire five minutes was a complete waste of her time. They had barely said ten words to each other, and the words that he did use dripped with boredom and conceit.

As the next man arrived to table eight, Lizzy had finished sending a text message to Jane. It had seemed that Will's friend Charles had made a good impression with Jane, and Lizzy could see her sister beaming from across the room. _Huh, this might actually work for one of us._ Once she put away her phone, Lizzy looked up to find a pair of shining green eyes smiling at her. It was a welcomed change to have somebody warm and comforting sitting across from her, unlike Number Seven Will Darcy. _Why am I even thinking about him? He's the one with the stick up his butt, so why should I care?_

Turning her attention back to man Number Six, Lizzy put on her winning smile. The bell rang and soon they immersed themselves in conversation that she actually didn't mind.

"Hi, I'm George, George Wickham." He stuck his hand out and Lizzy grasped it firmly, still smiling.

"Lizzy Bennet." They shook hands and remained smiling hoping one of them would break the ice first. Thankfully it was George.

"So Lizzy, what's your sign?" His eyes twinkled slightly in the dim lighting, but all Lizzy could do was choke on a little bit of drink before laughing.

"'What's your sign?' Really? Wow, you must've been a hit with the other two girls if you used that old charmer on them." He laughed along with her shaking his head.

"Yeah, it was kind of a longshot. But we're talking, so I must've done something right." He picked up his tumbler and drank a little, neatly setting it back down on the coaster.

Lizzy watched his movements carefully. There were no facial twitches, no nervous scratching, he wasn't chewing the inside of his cheek—all good signs. Glancing around, she could see Jane sit helplessly in her chair as Number Eight talked about his ex Catherine. Going around the room, she noticed that the redhead—Charles—was being chatted up by the woman at table twelve. Lizzy smiled to herself as she looked over to her left to see Mr. Number Seven staring off away from the woman at table nine, just like he had done to her. But there was something off about him this time. His eyes were darker, almost black, and a scowl had etched itself onto his forehead like he had taken a bite out of a strong cheese. It was then she realized that he was staring at _her_.

_What the—_ Her thought was interrupted by someone calling her name. "Lizzy?" It was George. She pulled her eyes away from Will and faced her current "date."

"Yes? Oh sorry, what were you saying about bio fuel?" It wasn't like Lizzy had completely tuned out George. There was a puzzled look in his eyes as he swiveled his head back and forth between Will and Lizzy.

"I-I'm sorry, but how do you know Will Darcy?" Lizzy's head whipped around as her mouth gaped open.

"How do you know him?" she challenged. George took in a deep breath, obviously regaining some composure. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the ending bell rang, and each couple shook hands again before the men rotated.

George stood up, and Lizzy followed suit, still curious as to what his explanation would be for knowing Will Darcy. His smile had faded into a grimace as they shook hands. "Let's just say that he's not to be trusted." Lizzy gaze a small nod and turned her gaze back to Will who had readily moved on to the table.

"I'll keep that in mind. It was great meeting you, George." His smile returned, making his emerald eyes almost pop.

"Not as great as it was meeting you." Dropping their hands, George moved onto table number nine while Lizzy watched after him as she sat back down with Number five. There was something comforting about George Wickham that makes him attractive, she thought. But there was also absolutely nothing attractive about a name named Will Darcy who continued to stare at her.


	4. Round 4

**Round 4: Denny**

After George left her table, Lizzy stared after him. He was tall, confident, easy on the eyes—overall not a bad candidate. She pulled out her phone and texted Jane.

_#6 has potential! ;)_

**Really? See, I told you this wouldn't be so bad.**

Lizzy looked to see who Jane's next partner was. There, her smile turned sour as she replied to her sister.

_Oh yeah? Look who's nxt…#8 :P_

She shut her phone and watched for Jane's reaction as Number Eight—Collins—came bounding over to Jane's table with the same snarky disgusting smile on his face. Lizzy couldn't stop herself from giggling as Jane tried not to squirm her hand away from Collins's chapped lips.

The next man in the circle then came to sit down. He was slightly taller than Lizzy, still a little boyish-looking, but with a kind smile. Before the bell even rang he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Denny." He held out his hand to which Lizzy offered hers in return.

"Lizzy. Nice to meet you." The bell sounded and Lizzy began the conversation. He looked a bit scared, but generally happy to be talking with her. "So Denny, please don't be offended when I ask this, but how old are you, exactly?"

He gave a short laugh and brushed his chestnut brown hair away from his eyes. _Definitely a little too young if his hair is _that_ long._ She thought to herself. "I just turned twenty last week." _That would explain why he hasn't got a drink. _Lizzy nodded and took a sip of her replenished glass of red wine.

"Well, how old are you? You can't be older than twenty-one." She laughed a little. There was something about him that she liked—kind of like the younger brother that she never had.

"Oh you did not just go there." They both laughed at the joke. "No, I actually am twenty-one." He muttered something along the lines of "Nice, nice" as he nodded his head. There was a short pause before Lizzy decided to get a little more personal. "So how did you hear about this? I mean, not many twenty-year-olds that I know will willingly go out and try speed dating."

"Well you're here, aren't you?" He smirked a little. Lizzy had to give the guy props, he knew what to say.

"Huh, touché, sir. Well played." She raised her glass towards him signaling he won that point. "But seriously. I was forced here against my will. Did you just say to yourself one night, 'Hey, I think I'll try speed dating' or something?" She grinned impishly.

"No, actually I came here with one of my friends. He's at table nine." Denny pointed over to the man with the piercing green eyes she had met earlier.

"George? How do you know George?" This made no sense to Lizzy. _Does everyone know each other here?_

Denny's eyes brightened a little as Lizzy turned to face him again. "Yeah, that's him! He felt weird about coming alone, so he asked me to come. We're in the army together and we're on leave. One of our other friends told us about this place so we decided to check it out. And so far, I'm having a good time. How 'bout you?"

_Well, he certainly knows what he wants, _Lizzy thought. She began to open her mouth to answer the question, but was cut off by the annoying metal tintinnabulation of the ending bell. Instead of speaking, she just closed her mouth and smiled. Standing with Denny, she said her farewells and shook his hand. _That wasn't overly terrible,_ she thought as he moved on to table nine. _A little too eager to please, but cute. _She sat back down and decided to text Jane about her new findings. Opening her phone, Lizzy found that Jane had already beaten her to the punch.

**I have never said a bad thing about anyone b4, but Collins is CREEPY! **

Lizzy couldn't help but laugh at her older sister's torment. Jane really never did have a bad word to say about anyone, but even a saint like her could make an exception for Number Eight.

_See? I told ya so! :) Lol! _

Lizzy shut her phone and sat back in her chair. She took a sip from her wine and smiled to herself. While she waited on Number Four, Lizzy decided to look around at the other tables. Her best friend—besides her sister—Charlotte was seated at table twelve. She may not have been the prettiest woman there, but she had character. Lizzy let her gaze fall on table eleven and Jane. There in front of her sister was Number Seven—Will Darcy, and next to him was George. _There's something wrong between those two_, Lizzy thought taking another sip. _And I'm going to find out._


	5. Round 5

**Round 5: William Hurst**

Lizzy sat back down at her table after smoothing out her dress. She glanced around anxiously to see if anyone else was there that she knew. At table two Lydia—a.k.a. Lizzy's reason for a miserable evening—sat reapplying her lipstick, awaiting her next victim. Kitty, Lydia's twin sister, sat at table five and appeared to be choking on her drink. Lizzy could only roll her eyes at the pair of them. They were probably two of the silliest girls she had known growing up, but they made life interesting for her.

The bell rang and the next man came swaggering up to table eight. He was quite heavy, and older than someone who usually came to these things—not that Lizzy would know, it being her first time. He looked around forty-five, with rosy cheeks and a sleepy smile; obviously drunk if not ready to pass out at any moment. Lizzy groaned outwardly and put on a kind smile. Once man Number Four made his way to the chair, he sat down with a thud and called the waiter over, ordering another tumbler of rum. It took him all of ten seconds to down his drink and order another.

"Hello," she started trying to be friendly. She raised her voice a little in case he could not hear her over the swoosh of the alcohol in his brain. "My name is Lizzy Bennet. What's yours?" The man gave a grumbled response. The smell of the rum poured out of his mouth and hit Lizzy in a wave of hot air.

"Manameiswilliamurst." His response came out in an unintelligible slur. Lizzy leaned back in her chair, breathing through her mouth.

"Excuse me? Can you please repeat that?" As much as she didn't want to keep talking to him, there was no way she would sit there for another four minutes while he downed every drink in sight.

"My-name-is-William-Hurst. Whaparofthadidnyagit?" _Well that was rude,_ she thought hearing his name somewhat clearly. It was worse than she thought. Lizzy observed the lush in front of her: his face was heavily reddened, the ridge of his eyebrows pulled low making his eyes looked closed, his clothes though neat and fashionable, constricted his movement and made parts of his fat bulge from beneath it. And what was more, on his left hand was a solid gold wedding band. _He's married? What the hell? Who does that? Unless he's a swinger…_That had to be the only option. Lizzy had had enough.

"Well Mr. Hurst, let me just say that this has been one of the worst "dates"—if you can even call it that—that I've been on." Lizzy was not aware that her voice was growing louder and that the other participants began to stare. "You are disgusting, rude, and if you had any decency at all you would at least pretend to be sober enough to say that you were married, or at least take off your ring. How any woman ever married you is beyond me." There was no way he would remember all this in the morning, so she continued. "If there was ever a chance any woman in this place would offer you her number there is something seriously wrong with her. Does your wife know that you go out to speed dating bars and drink non-stop while trying to score with other women? If I was her I would seriously consider divorcing your sorry—"

The bell had cut her off before she could do any more damage to the slobbering man. Lizzy straightened up in her seat as she realized that people were staring at her; some with looks of admiration for telling Number Four off, someone even applauded her, and someone just glared with disdain and curiosity. Lizzy only had one guess as to who that was.


	6. Round 6

**Round 6: Colonel Fitzwilliam**

The proctor of the group tried her best to calm everyone down after Lizzy's little outburst during the last round. During the proctor's few failed attempts, Lizzy received a message from Jane.

**Lizzy, I don't know why we even came here. I had such high hopes for one of them… **  
>Lizzy read the text over and over looking around the room, searching for the one who had hurt her sister.<p>

_Want me to talk some sense into them too? _She replied.

**No. Let's just finish and leave.**  
>It hurt Lizzy to know that her sister was miserable, but there was nothing that she could do at the moment.<p>

With everyone finally settled down, including the shining heroine who resigned to drinking a glass of water with lemon instead of more wine, the next round continued on. The next man—Number Three—came gallantly walking up towards Lizzy's table, a friendly smile on his face. He didn't seem as old as Hurst, but definitely wasn't as young as Denny; maybe somewhere in between.

"Hello," he said with a kind voice, pulling the chair out for himself and sitting down. "I'm Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, how do you do?" _Polite, a Colonel, nice guy already_.

Lizzy reached out and shook his hand. "Lizzy Bennet. It's a pleasure to meet you Colonel." And it was true.

"Before we start talking, I just need to tell you that your little 'speech' was—well, that took balls." He stated with a laugh. He was complimenting her. Lizzy blushed a little, half embarrassed and half proud knowing that he approved. "There are some real idiots here, and he was one of 'em. So my hat's off to you, Miss Bennet." The Colonel raised his glass and took a sip. Lizzy took her water and did the same.

"So tell me Colonel, what brings you here? You're not on leave too are you?" Lizzy remembered what Denny had said about he and George being in the army. Maybe the Colonel was one of their officers.

"No, ma'am. I was here on business and I stopped by to see my cousin. He's actually here too. One of his friends asked him to tag along, so we all came together." The Colonel shifted around in his seat and pointed to table number twelve where Charlotte was. "There he is, in the black suit jacket."

Lizzy peered around Colonel Fitzwilliam. _Are you frickin' kidding me?_ It had to be some prank, or conspiracy. There was no way everyone in the bar was related in some way to _him_. Lizzy gathered herself and took a sip of water. "Colonel, please don't take this the wrong way or anything, but—he wasn't exactly my favorite of the night."

He only nodded in understanding. He knew his cousin to be a little proud sometimes, but he was a good man. "Miss Bennet, let me assure you that Will is a good man. He's very loyal, very caring—he takes great care of his sister Gigi…" His voice got lower as he began to explain bits of the Darcy family history. "Their father died when Will was in high school, and their mother died when Gigi was twelve—she's sixteen now—but he's done a great job looking after her, after his friends…anyone would be lucky to have him. He even saved his friend—the one who brought him here—from asking out the second girl he saw. Apparently she was all wrong for him. He's a great friend. You'd be lucky to know him."

_What the heck? Okay Colonel, you're either in love with your own cousin, or he paid you to up his status with me._ Lizzy considered his words though. If all that was really true, no wonder the man had social interaction problems. She gave Colonel Fitzwilliam a smile as they continued to talk until the bell rang. As he left, she sat thinking some more about what he said.

"_The second girl he saw…all wrong for him…the one who brought him here…" _It hit Lizzy hard in the chest. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed out loud, causing people to stare again. She smiled at those who gawked. "Stubbed my toe. Sorry." Some nodded, some rolled their eyes. Either way, this was her second outburst of the night.

Lizzy looked around again, this time eyes scanning the dim room for Will Darcy. He was there, moving on to table one; the same bored and annoyed scowl he had wore when he sat in front of Lizzy. As he turned around, they locked eyes for a brief second. In that second, all the hate that she thought she had for him before turned into pure loathing. He noticed her shooting dagger his way, but didn't seem to care…as long as it was him she looked at.


	7. 30 Minute Break Pt 1

**30 Minute Break: The first 15 minutes**

Instead of hearing the annoying little tinkle of the bell that started and stopped each round, a mini gong was rung to stop the sixth round. The proctor stood in the center of the circle, her perky smile adding to the minor headache Lizzy was starting to develop. If her smile wasn't enough to drive Lizzy over the edge, her voice was the next best thing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" It wasn't like there was a whole lot of chatter going on, but no one really cared and listened anyway. "We will have a quick thirty minute break before we begin the second set, starting with round seven." Her voice was just nasal enough to be on par with the Annoying Orange from Youtube. "Restrooms are down the hall. First door on the right for women, second door on the left for men."

There were sighs of relief as the locations of the restrooms were mentioned. Lizzy even felt relieved to know she was allowed to leave. Maybe then she would be able to catch Jane and talk about what she had found out and what had happened between her and Number Ten—Charles. And if she couldn't get to Jane, then she would definitely have to track down that Darcy guy. The proctor continued over the buzzing and chattering of the twenty-four participants as they flocked down the hall in search of the restrooms. "We will reconvene in thirty minutes! Thirty minutes everybody!"

Lizzy made a mad dash to find Jane. The current of people trying to make their way to the restrooms forced her to forget her manners in the hope of trying comfort her sister. Finally making it out of the drunken throng, Lizzy found Jane sitting at her table, hands wrapped around the candle holder in the center, staring into the bright flame with saddened eyes. Lizzy's heart sank as she sat across from her.

"You want to talk Janie?" Lizzy said after a few silent moments. Jane sighed and looked up at her little sister, her clear blue eyes misting over.

"I don't know what I'm doing here Iz." Lizzy smiled sadly at her nickname. Jane had a hard time saying 'Elizabeth' or 'Lizzy' when she was little, it always came out 'Izzy', to which she shortened it to 'Iz' when they got older. Lizzy grasped one of Jane's hands in her own and asked to hear what happened. Jane took in a heavy breath and began.

"Everything was going great, and I really thought he liked me." Lizzy nodded for her to continue. She had seen them with her own eyes. He really did like her. "And when it was all over I sent you that text telling you how nice he was, remember?" Lizzy nodded again. It took Jane a couple more seconds before she could go on. She was trying her hardest not to cry in public. "S-so he left for the next round and I watched him. An-and we locked eyes for a moment, but he looked so sad. And he couldn't look away fast enough." Jane sniffled a little then said, "Then his friend came along, Will. He barely said anything at first, then he looked at me and said that Charles already had someone he was interested in. I didn't even know they had communicated to each other, but they must have texted. That would explain why Charles had looked so sad. He felt bad for leading me on…"

Her voice quivered and she turned away. Lizzy had never felt so helpless and so angry all at once. _It's all _his _fault, _she thought bitterly. After comforting her sister the best she could, Lizzy went in search of Will. She didn't know exactly what she was going to say to him, but in the fifteen minutes that remained of their break, she was going to say a lot.

Lizzy found him at the bar, just leaning up against the counter as if he owned the place. Marching up to him, her face was the description of murderous and he knew it. Will caught her eyes and put down his drink immediately straightening up. She was going to let him have it, and she didn't care if it was in public or behind the bar, but he was going to pay.


	8. 30 Minute Break Pt 2

**30 Minute Break: The last 15 minutes**

Lizzy was hell bent on making Will Darcy pay for what he did to Jane. As she made her way to the bar, she could see him smirk, but also look a bit scared. _Yeah, that's right buddy, you better be afraid,_ she thought standing in front of him.

"Ah," he said as she came into full view. "Just the person I wanted to see." _What? _He _wants to see _me?_ This better be good…_

"Well that makes my trip over here extremely convenient for both of us then because you're just the person I wanted to see." Lizzy crossed her arms over her chest

"I'm all ears. Lizzy, was it?" _Oh, you're going to remember my name all right, pal._

"Oh no," she said with mock politeness, "please, since you troubled yourself to seek me out, you go first." Will cleared his throat before sheepishly looking around and then back to the small woman glowering in front of him. Even though he was considerably taller than her, he had never felt so vulnerable before.

"I know that we're supposed to wait until the end of the night to exchange information, but…" his low voice dropped into a soft whisper. Something Lizzy was sure he was incapable of doing. "I couldn't wait that long. I've pretty much watched you all night and your outbursts earlier were—well to be completely frank—rather rude and bothersome."

"_Rude and bothersome"? Yes, I was a little loud, but you would be too if you were in my too tight five-inch heels._

"But," he continued, "I actually enjoyed watching someone speak with such…confidence—courage, really—and in public, no less. And I've found myself…rather attracted to you, despite your earlier behavior."

This confused Lizzy. Was he complimenting her or insulting her? "I don't understand what you're trying to communicate here. First you insult me—call me 'rude and bothersome'—and now you say you're attracted to me?" Will sheepishly looked away again.

"For all intents and purposes, yes." He turned his head and stared at Lizzy again with those same dark brown eyes. They still looked black to her. "And I was hoping that at the end of the night that I could get your number."

Lizzy stood there with her mouth open. Was this guy serious? Did he really think that she would give him her number if he knew what she knew? Lizzy turned away for a minute before saying a few choice words of her own. "No. No I will not give you my number at the end of the night. And if I were you, I wouldn't even bother to ask again."

Lizzy watched as Will's expression turned puzzled, and little dark. "May I ask why, and with so little civility that you say no?" He asked, his stance now defensive.

"And may I ask why you told Jane that Charles was already interested in someone else when you saw them with your own eyes that they were clearly happy together? Do you deny it?" Lizzy challenged. She knew he knew she was right. There was no way around it. Will looked around before grabbing Lizzy be the elbow and leading her away from the bar. "Hey! Hey, let—me—go!" She staggered a bit, but steadied herself and glared at Will who had turned to look at the tiled floor of the hallway. "What the hell is your problem?" she yelled, massaging her now sore elbow.

"Yes, I did tell Jane that Charles was interested in someone else purely because she didn't look interested in him. He was happy and trying so hard, but she just sat there and smiled like she had done with every other man that came over." Lizzy became livid at this, and Will's expression turned even darker as she spoke.

"And what was up with you glaring at me during round two when I was with George? He told me I couldn't trust you, and I'm beginning to see that he's right." With that, Will took two steps and looked Lizzy straight in the eyes. Even in heels, being five-feet and eight inches tall meant nothing next to Will who had to at least be six-foot three.

"I'm sure," he started before pausing, peering into her chocolate brown eyes with an intensity that would make some women melt, but only made Lizzy angrier. "I'm sure—that you are mistaken, and that _he_ is the one who should not be trusted."

Lizzy tilted her head to the side to get a better look at the man in front of her. "No, I don't think I am. The moment you sat down at my table, how _you_ behaved made me realize that you would be the absolute _last_ man in the bar that I would give my number to." Lizzy's chest heaved up and down, as she remembered that she was in a public place and had been shouting.

Will backed up then looked out at the main room of the bar. Looking back at Lizzy he said, "I'm sorry then. Forgive me for taking up so much of your time." He then left, leaving Lizzy alone in the dimly lit hall. She took a few steps back before feeling the wall behind her. The gong sounded suddenly, bringing Lizzy back to reality. As she sat down again at table eight, Lizzy took a quick peek at her phone. There were three new text messages from an unknown number. The first three words of the first message read, "This is Will…"


	9. Round 7

**Round 7: Henry Tilney**

"_This is Will." _The words on the screen mocked Lizzy. It hadn't even been five minutes before her phone started vibrating announcing that she had not one, but _three_ new text messages. Lizzy stared at her phone, debating whether or not she should just delete the messages. A part of her said to do just that, don't look back, and focus on the next man coming to the table. But another part was curious—if not freaked out—as to how Will had gotten her number. _There's only one way to find out_, she concluded. There were still some people in the restrooms, so there was a little bit of time to read the first message.

Taking a deep breath, she highlighted the first box and began to read.

**(1/3) This is Will…Please don't be angry w/ me or delete this. Jane gave me your number. I want to apologize. You were right. About everything. Except Wickham.**

Lizzy sat stock still. Was she really reading this? Did she even really care? And what was worse: did she really believe him? Another few minutes passed by without interruption. Lizzy stared at the phone in her hands, reading and re-reading the first message. It was only until the bell rang that she looked up to find man Number Two. Lizzy put away her phone and smiled up at the man. He was tall, a little lanky, but still strong-looking. He couldn't have been much older than twenty-six, but she had been wrong about people's ages before. There was something playful if not sad in his eyes as he sat down and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Henry. Henry Tilney. And you are?" He stuck his hand out to which Lizzy returned the gesture.

"Lizzy Bennet. How do you do?" Henry smiled again and ducked his head. He didn't look uncomfortable, but more like embarrassed, although it showed very little on his features. It wasn't long before they got talking that Lizzy noticed something a little odd about him.

"So Lizzy, what are your hobbies? Wait," he said making Lizzy jump a little. "Let me guess." He took a minute to think, eyeing Lizzy and making facial gestures that suggested he was thinking deeply about his answer, but still trying to tease her. "Ah!" he said after a few moments. "I have it. You like to read a lot don't you?"

Lizzy looked at him, blinking in confusion and wonderment. "Why, yes I do." She laughed a little. _Hmm, he's kind of funny. I like him. _"How did you know?"

Number Two—Henry—tapped his temple, smirking in her direction. "I just know." He took a sip of his drink the placed it back down on the napkin in front of him. "No, it's just—you remind me of someone I know." He took another sip, this time drinking half of the glass.

The sadness that Lizzy saw earlier became even more present now. _Oh no, _she thought, sympathy and pity dripping from every word. _He's got it bad…well, he's not the only one._ Lizzy took a quick glance at her purse where the edge of her phone peeked out from the pocket. Maybe she could help this guy. He obviously is missing someone, and she knew that Karma was a downright bitch.

Lizzy hesitated a beat before saying softly, "Do you want to talk about her?" Henry's head snapped up, eyes wide. And before Lizzy even knew it, they were talking about how much of an idiot he was, and how Kathy—the girl that Henry finally realized he was in love with—loved to read, and their favorite books. They didn't even hear the bell ring until Lizzy caught a glimpse of man Number One making his way over to table eight.

"Oh my," she said slightly flustered. "We seem to have gone over time." Henry stood up and reached out his hand.

"Thank you so much for your help, Lizzy. It was great to meet you." Henry smiled as they shook hands.

"It was great meeting you too, Henry. And good luck when speaking with your father." Henry walked away to table nine, and as Lizzy watched him, she felt a strong sense of hope for him, but also for herself. If he could make the right choice for himself, then maybe she could too. Sitting back down to man Number One, Lizzy thought back to the phone in her purse. There were still two unread texts from Will, but they were going to have to wait.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Yes I do know that Henry Tilney is not a character in P&P. He's from Northanger Abbey, my second favorite Austen novel. I seriously just needed another unmarried male character, and I liked the idea of Lizzy doing something nice for someone while she's still trying to figure things out between her and Will. Hope that explains things a little more.**_


	10. Round 8

**Round 8: Henry Crawford**

Lizzy sat back down to man Number One. _Okay, _she thought, waiting for the bell to sound. _Just four more after this one. Only four more…I can do this._ She put on a smile for the next man. He was tall, graceful, with curly blonde hair and a devilish smirk_. _There was something off about him. Something in his eyes that told her he was there looking for more than someone to contact later on to meet for drinks.

"Hi there," she started, reaching out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Lizzy." Number One put on a genial smile and returned the handshake.  
>"Henry Crawford. Pleasure to meet you." <em>Oh, man this guy's a tool, <em>Lizzy thought, but she never let it show.  
>"Wow, another Henry. Must be a popular name here tonight." Number One—Henry laughed along with Lizzy. If it wasn't for the fact that he was actually paying attention to Lizzy, she would have dismissed him as a "No" right away.<br>"So Lizzy—" he drawled. He was almost too smooth for Lizzy's liking, but there were worse people she could be sitting across from…one of which had left her two more text messages for her to read. "So, Lizzy, that's short for 'Elizabeth', I presume." _Oh, you're really trying, here aren't you Romeo?_ She gave a short laugh before picking up her glass of water. _Why did I switch from the wine?_  
>"Why, yes, yes it is. I've never seen you around before. You're new to Masontown aren't you?" Henry shifted a little in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with being called out on not being a resident of the city.<p>

He cleared his throat while Lizzy watched with satisfaction. There was no way he would be able to pull that "I'm-funny-and-charming" look in front of her. "Uh, yes, I am new here." He took a sip of his drink, his crystal blue eyes flitting around the room. "I actually just moved here, thought I'd get to know some people."

Lizzy just stared and smiled at him. There was something that he was hiding—probably a girlfriend at home, or he slept with a married woman. _Or he could be gay and trying to hide it._ Lizzy almost laughed out loud, which would have caused her to receive even more stares from the other patrons. As much as Lizzy wanted to find out and expose this guy, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sighing, Lizzy softened her gaze and whispered, "She turned you down, didn't she?"

Henry only nodded and instead of taking a sip, downed his drink in one gulp. "I did everything I could possibly think of." He rasped. Lizzy just sat there and listened. "I flattered her, I paid attention to her when no one else did, I even went to her house and met her family for god sake!" He was on the point of hysterics now. It saddened Lizzy to see this. But what hurt her more was what she was thinking as he ranted and raved about his failed proposals and attempts at making Felicity—Francy—Fanny! love him. It had finally dawned on her that she had probably made Will Darcy feel the same way that Henry Crawford was feeling right that moment.

Suddenly, there was a pang of guilt that made its way into the far corners of Lizzy's stomach. Had she really been _that_ horrible to Will? Even if she hadn't, did he feel just as bad? The bell rang. Henry stood and nodded to Lizzy, a silent "thanks for listening" before heading off to the next table to try his act. There was too much to think about, but one thing was for sure. Lizzy took a quick glance at the next man to come to her table. There was still some time before he came over, and that was just what she needed. Snatching up her phone, Lizzy frantically scrolled through her messages landing on the second of the three. _Well_, she thought opening the highlighted box, _it's now or never_.


End file.
